4th of July Handprint Art
Use our free 4th of July handprint template to create some quick patriotic keepsakes with your kids! This easy 4th of July craft is perfect for both younger and older kids.
Servings: 1 keepsake
Ingredients
- free handprint art template
- 1 sheet paper
- 1 sheet cardstock red or blue
- 1 paintbrush
- washable kids' paint red or blue
- 1 pair scissors
- 1 ruler
- 1 pencil
- 1 glue stick
Instructions
- Use a paintbrush to quickly cover your child’s entire right hand with red or blue paint.
- Gently press your child’s hand onto the template. Remove their hand to reveal the imprint.
- Once the paint is done drying, use a pencil and ruler to trace a ½ inch border on the back of the template. Use scissors (or a paper trimmer) to cut off the border.
- Glue the template onto the center of the sheet of cardstock. If desired, write your child’s name or the year on the front or back of the craft.
Video
Notes
1. Choosing your paper and print scale: The template was designed for US Letter paper. If printing on A4 paper, use the “Scale to Fit” setting to ensure that none of the printable area is being cut off, but try to reduce the print scale as little as possible to leave enough room for your child's handprint.
2. Choosing your colors: To make your child’s handprint pop, use red cardstock for blue handprints, and blue cardstock for red handprints.
3. Framing your artwork: If you wish, you can frame this craft either after adding the handprint (before you cut off the border) or after glueing it to the cardstock. If you can’t find an 8.5 x 11 inch frame (US Letter size), you may need to cut off the edges of the finished craft to make it fit, which can impact the size of the border you'll need to cut off before glueing the template onto the cardstock.
4. Tips for making perfect handprints:
- Add a generous amount of paint: Add enough paint to create a full imprint of your child's hand.
- Keep fingers slightly spread out: Ask your child to spread out their fingers slightly in order to allow you to fully cover them with paint.
- Quickly press down: Press your child's hand to the template as soon as it's covered in paint, to avoid giving the paint a chance to dry.
- Don't move: To create the nicest imprint, avoid moving your child's hand while it's on the paper.
- Gently press down: Use your fingers to gently press down on your child's hand and fingers to ensure every painted area comes into contact with the paper.
- Hold down the paper: Keep the paper from moving while you carefully lift your child's hand off the template.